Hoyer Statement on Sudan

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement after Sudan's government launched an offensive in the Abyei region:

“In January, the people of Southern Sudan voted overwhelmingly to form a new nation. That critical vote offered the people of Southern Sudan an opportunity for a better future, and a chance to put to rest the legacy of Africa’s bloodiest civil war. Unfortunately, Khartoum’s current actions are putting that possibility at risk. Their disproportionate and violent offensive in the disputed Abyei region threatens a wider breakdown of peace and a return to armed conflict between North and South, which is deeply concerning to those of us who have long advocated for peace and security across the whole of Sudan. The Obama administration has rightly condemned this offensive, and I join it in urging the Khartoum government to abide by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and resolve the future of the Abyei region through negotiation only. Khartoum must understand that normalization with the U.S. hinges on its ending violence, human rights abuses, and targeting of civilians.”